


Exhaustion

by PattonSherlo



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Based on a Tumblr Post, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-03
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2020-02-16 19:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18697945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PattonSherlo/pseuds/PattonSherlo
Summary: Prompt by @5am-the-foxing-hour on Tumblr.Thomas comes home from being outside, worn down, crying, and exhausted. Deceit is there to try and help comfort him.





	Exhaustion

**Author's Note:**

> HI I'VE NEVER WRITTEN THOMCEIT BEFORE SO HERE I AM

Thomas didn’t need to explain because the moment he collapsed into tears on the couch, Deceit already knew what it was.

He didn’t move from his corner, not at first. As pissed as he was, he wasn’t a fool: he knew when he wasn’t wanted. He’d gone down this road before. Nobody in the mindscape particularly wanted to admit that it was important to care for yourself these days.

But it only took a few more sobs out of Thomas to convince himself to move.

“Hey, hey, Thomas, it’s okay,” he hushed. Gathering Thomas into his arms, he flopped onto the couch and pulled him close against his chest. “What’s wrong?”

“I just, oh  _god_ , I just- it’s so much- there’s- there’s so many people and so much stress and I just can’t- and I should be able to handle it, b-but I can’t and I-”

Deceit shushed him again, taking his gloved fingers and carding them through Thomas’s hair. He wasn’t a very soft, caring person, he knew, but if there were one person he would set aside that persona for it would be Thomas.

He made soft ‘sss’ noises at the man in his arms till the latter was calm enough to talk again, waiting for the latter to look up at him before stopping.

“D-Deceit?” Said Thomas. He seemed more surprised than anything else, and Deceit would be lying if he’d said it didn’t hurt a little.

 _But, then again, that **was**  his purpose,_ he reminded himself.

“Yes.”

Thomas shakily looked back down. “It’s because you’re self-preservation, isn’t it? I just... I don’t know. I trust Virgil and Patton to make the right decisions, I really do, but sometimes I just can’t keep up with what they want- what t-they expect of me. Just- what if they’re right, though? What if I- need to be there for my friends more- go to more things-”

“I know,” said Deceit. He tried not to let the anger flaring up inside him control his tone.

“I don’t-”

**“What are you doing here?”  
**

Both Deceit and Thomas looked up at that, one pausing his hair-petting motions  and the other hiccuping slightly as he furiously wiped at the tear tracks on his cheeks. The other four sides stood silently in front of the couch.

“Ah, Virgil,  _so_  nice to see you again,” Deceit murmured as he let his ‘slimey’ facade take over. It likely wasn’t as convincing as usual given he and Thomas’s positions.

“Answer the question, Deceit,” said Patton.

“And  _Patton_.  _Glad_  I got to see you again.” Deceit nudged Thomas off of his lap so he could stand. “And what would bring you here?”

“Leave Thomas alone, you slimey-”

“Or what? He might  _take care of himself_?”

“He’s taking care of himself  _just fine_  without your ‘ _help_ ’, Deceit. Now get out before you cause more damage than you’ve clearly already done here,” hissed Virgil. Both Patton and Virgil had moved into defensive positions, while Roman and Logan appeared more uncertain at such a statement.

“ _Sure_  he is.”

“Yes, he is, because he’s got-”

Deceit felt himself lose it.

“ _No_ , he’s  ** _not_**! You expect him to be perfectly selfless, but you don’t ever realise that he has limits you can’t push. You blame  _me_  for being the cause of this? What about  _you_?”

“We-”

“No. You’ve done  _enough_  damage. You’ve been telling him he needs to be more extroverted. You’ve been the ones guilt tripping him, day after day, into being around friends with no time for himself. And you, Patton- you’ve been the  _worst_. You think that just because you represent Thomas’s ‘moral’ side that you can tell him to do whatever you’d prefer because you’re always right! You both barely give him _any_  time to take care of  _his_  needs because you’re both so worried that he isn’t the _perfect angel_  you couldn’t  _bear_  him not to be. He’s human, and if I may be so  _ **honest**_ ,” Deceit sneered, “it’s more selfish for  _you_  to ignore everyone  _else’s_ perspectives in favor of your _own_  than to admit that  _self-care_  is a  _necessity_.”

He moved forward, but felt a tug on his hand.

“Stop it, Deceit,” Thomas said. “This- this one is on me. I should have recognised it, and I should have talked about it-”

“No, Thomas, this one _isn’t_  on you. And I think I should go.”

“Stay.”

Deceit froze, looking at Thomas. He could hear Patton sniffling as he and the others sunk out, but the noodle ignored them. “I doubt you actually mean that.”

Thomas smiled, half-genuine and half-exhausted.

“I do. Stay. We’ve got some good movies we could watch, and I think I need a nap before I talk to them. And what was that about taking time to relax?”

 

And as strange as such a thought is, Deceit thinks he just might take Thomas up on that offer.


End file.
